Gifted but Bored

By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D

Q:
My son is 7 years old and is in 2nd grade. He was diagnosed
with an IQ score of 130. His teacher says that he is always
daydreaming in class and is not able to go to 3rd grade
because he can not focus on different activities. Should I
keep him back in 2nd grade in order for him to develop his
focus?

A: It is quite obvious that
your son is bored, hence the daydreaming. It may be possible
that the lessons at school are not challenging enough for
him. Gifted children need to find their work meaningful to
be able to enjoy learning.

Keeping him in 2nd grade is not going to solve the problem,
in fact, if he is tested gifted, it would actually slow him
down further. Your son appears to have absorbed the
knowledge that is required to score well on tests,
indicating at the very least that he has understanding and
mastery of the subject matter.

You need to come up with a plan that balances your child's
individual needs. You may also want to speak to a few of his
teachers (rather than only one) about his academic
capabilities and potential. This will help with specific
suggestions on ways in which your son's needs can be
accommodated and catered for instead of keeping him back.

Punishing your child for daydreaming will not force him to
become focused or excited about school. It will most
probably anger him and breed even more resistance toward his
schoolwork. Speak to the school counselor to determine if
there is something else (a learning disability?) bothering
him or keeping him from focusing. You may need to get him
tested. Best wishes.